Dancing Towers, a project that is part of the new Yongsan International Business District YIBD development in Seoul, is a mixed used development that consists of three 41 story residential towers,( a total of 834 total residential units) with amenities, retail, parking and a connecting commercial podium base.

The design for the Dancing Towers is inspired by the traditional Korean Buddhist Dance known as Seung-Moo. The subtle rotation of the towers creates the illusion they are dancing, as inspired by the long sleeves of the Seung-Moo dancer’s traditional costumes, gracefully propelled by the dancer’s movements. The towers are engineered with a unique structure of a central concrete core and alternating cantilevered fin walls to support the floors that create column free buildings that allow the forms to ‘dance’ and twist while opening up panoramic views from the apartment interiors.

While creating an interrelated composition, the location of the three towers in the site and each tower’s rotations are oriented to create maximum light and views toward the water, the YIBD project, the city of Seoul and the mountains beyond for the residents.

Comments

This can't possibly be Libeskind, where are the unnecessary zig zags and diagonal windows?

M.Kitar

So now Libeskind is suddenly an authority on traditional Korean Buddhist dance? I bet he never attended even one performance or even knew what it was until he realized he needed some other hook than the usual 'crystals' BS to sell this stupid idea to the client. He's such an embarrassing buffoon.

Janice

Daniel Libeskind retains his position as the undisputed King of Crap. I'm amazed he's able to convince staff to work on this garbage.

Robert Y

Libeskind's master plan is fundamentally flawed. He created an isolated series of sites cut off from each other by heavily trafficked roads. Each site becomes its own bounded ghetto marked by a different stylistic character which is exaggerated by the physical separation and aesthetic isolation from other zones. Libeskind knows nothing about architecture. (They don't teach that at "ego school" where he scored highly.) This project conforms he knows nothing about town planning either.

Trent66

excellent 7 story parapets! amazing the stuff these architects get away with...

Marc

Jeez ... How low can Libeskind go? It's hard to believe any architect was involved in this junk. It looks likle a "design" for a building in a video game. A mentally retarded orangutan with a firm grip on a pencil could do better than this!

Darren

I think MAD's dance better than this.

zeeman

All those years of theoretical writings and abstract explorations. Now an allegorical reduction of a dancers moves. Nobody is immune.

SpiralEx

Even by Libeskind's low standards ... you have to admit this is a ridiculously bad design. He nust have assigned the D-team to this one. And what's with the Mickey Mouse ears on that low pavilion structure?

WideBoy

I don't think this was Libeskind's D-Team. This was something the office janitor worked on. The rest is a cheap rendering outsourced to China. But Libeskind is 100% responsible for the bullcrap about mimicking a Buddist Dance. No one else could be so stupid to make up that nonsense.

Shabnam Akram

And future archaeologists will wonder at the technology and heat rays/infra-red occurrance that melted and re-shaped these buildings...

Rafal Lowinski

So, when Daniel Libeskind comes over to your desk with his crude, half-baked doodle and his made-up story about being inspired by Korean Buddist dance, and asks you to start drawing it up, how do you keep a straight face? How do you stop yourself from laughing out loud? And how do you look at yourself in the mirror without being ashamed that this man is making a mockery of your desire to be a serious architect?

J.T.Pershing

You have to remember that Libeskind interned by sweeping floors in Eisenman's office. His formative years were influenced by garbage on the floor. No wonder his work is rubbish. It's all he knows!

Erazor

Another dubious masterwork from Libeskind's "Senile Phase". Someone needs to hide the crayons in the retirement community so he doesn't do it again.

Korean Dancer Girl

When I looked at the pictures and saw the project was in Korea, I asked myself, "Is it possible that the graceful flowing forms were inspired by the long sleeves of the Seung-Moo Korean Buddhist dancer’s traditional costumes?"

And then I read the text which said that this WAS Libeskind's inspiration. Wow! (You can't make this stuff up.)

Chris

I'm actually judging the AIA more for not revoking his license to practice Architecture.

Chabod

This is just sooo bad ..... I don't know where to start. Look closely at that podium, or at the silly three-story thing with the curved 'ears'. I would rather quit architecture than be told to work on something as cheesy as this.

C.P. Lewis

I don't know where ex Libeskind employees end up. Any self-respecting architect worthy of the name knows that "training" at SDL counts for nothing, so those resumes go straight to the garbage. Once you work there, you're stuck because there's no place to go, so you have to resign yourself to working on the next crappy design that Daniel shoves on your desk.

Lukasz

I can understand one or two bad projects. But with Libeskind's office EVERY SINGLE PROJECT IS BAD. One man can't be responsible for all this. Somehow, Libeskind has assembled a collection of the worst, most blind, pretentious and talentless staff in the history of the profession.

Xref

I can't wait to see how all those faceted pieces of flat glass come together to create the "curves". Better get out the big buckets of caulk and silicone sealant and start practicing how to smear oozy goop at the joints now! (And dont't take any close-up photos.)

The Greek

I don't know when Libeskind came up with that cockamamie storey about the form being "inspired by the long sleeves of the Seung-Moo dancer’s traditional costumes", but I will bet it was a long time after the rendering was in progress. If he wants to lie to himself that's fine. But he should know he isn't fooling anyone else.

CompassPoint

It looks like a developer did this with his in-house draftsman with no architectural training.

InBox

I college we were regularly warned "Don't ever design anything that looks remotely like a Daniel Libeskind building." Several years later, I now understand and appreciate that sound advice.

Nina L

Forget Libeskind's pretensious reference to Korean dancer's costumes. The truth is that the building shape was inspired by several wilting shampoo bottles that were left too close to a heat source.

Gerard D

Should be called "Writhing in Shame Towers".

Andrew

That low pavilion must be the worst thing ever shown on Dezeen. Please tell me this whole project is a cruel joke.

James D

Cartoon architecture from a cartoon architect.

Cameo

Libeskind has gone from being pretentious academic to being a ridiculous hack. And he completely missed being an architect along the way.

Dieter P

Nina Libeskind is to blame. Her need for fame and attention is worse than Daniel's. The problem is she knows less about architecture and has even less taste than he does. She manages the office and loads the staff up with projects that get cranked out with little or no thought. She's so convinced of Daniel's genius, that she hurries the projects out the door after one of his crude sketches, and with almost no aesthetic refinement. That's how you end up with crap like this.

Marta

Even in Disneyland this would look childish. Time for Libeskind to retire.

TDJ

Wait until the Value Engineering phase when all of Libeskind's curves become facetted angles in aluminum. LOL.

Jacana

Rhino loft profile curves.

eisuke

Would be nice to see some design development drawings/models. It's all about the final product these days. How was this inspired by the dance?

James D K

@ Eisuke ... It wasn't inspired by a dance. That's just Libeskind's phony BS to try to convince the local people that his ludicrous design respects the local culture.